Lathing



May 8, 1945.

c. A. KARELIUS LATHING Filed July 6, 1943 INVENTOR C1421. A. KflkEL/UJ Patented May 8, 1945 UNITED STATES 'ATENT orF cE 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to lathing of the type embodied in my U. S. Patent No. 2,236,141, issued March 25, 1941, and in my copending application for U. S. patent, Serial No. 488,151, filed May 24, 1943, in both of which is disclosed, a plaster foundation including a backing sheet combined with front and rear reinforcing wires in intersecting relation on opposite sides of the backing sheetand co-,acting with plaster keying openings in the latter at the wire intersections, to lock the plaster to the wires.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lathing of the above described general character whose backing sheet is preformedstructurally to present a cross sectional contour in excessive quantity through the plaster keying openings in an effort to embed the said front wires in the plaster as much as possible, whereby to insure an increased thickness of plaster between such front wires and the backing sheet in response to normal troweling pressure, so as to obtain a bond of maximum strength between the front wires! and the plaster, with an economical use of plaster and by the usual plaster applying technique practiced by the plasterer.

In its more specific aspect, the invention provides a preformed backing sheet combined with the reinforcing wires as above described, by grooving, channeling, or ribbing the sheet at 10- cations directly behind the parallel rows of front wires so as to normally space the backing sheet from such wires and provide the excess of backing sheet material to insure the deep embedding of the wires in the plaster with the aforestated ad vantages, as well as tend to increase the strength of the backing sheet as a unit against excessive bowing under troweling pressure and sagging under the weight of moist plaster.

A further object of this invention is to provide lathing whose construction and functional relationship of elements as above described enables I mediate front wires by increased flexing of the backing sheet at the latter and consequent deeper embedding of such wires in the plaster coating.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view of the lathing embodying this invention in front elevation, and shown applied to building frame members;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the lathing in rear elevation as applied in Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a sectional view at an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and-with plaster applied to the lathing; Figure 4 is an'enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 and showing the lathing prior to the application of plaster thereto; I

Figure 5 is 'a view similar to Figure 4 showing the lathing after plaster has been applied thereto.

Referring specifically to the drawing, this invention comprises a backing sheet H! which is preferablymade of a relatively thin, strong, absorbent' paper or equivalent material having openings I 1 arranged in parallel rows longitudinally and transversely of the sheet, with the openings being elongated in one and the same direction such as longitudinally of the'sheet'and being so spaced as to leave a relatively small web 112 between the ends of adjacent openings so as to weaken the sheet at such points for greater flexibility of the sheet thereat. Furthermore, the edges of the openings H are rounded or beveled towards the back side of the sheet as indicated at !3 so as to squeeze or constrict mortar forced through the openings, and thus densify the mortar. I The backing sheet is preformed byheavy pressure with or without'heat and/ or moisture, to define grooves li on the front side of the sheet, with the lengths of the grooves extending in parallelismto the longitudinal rows of openings II, and with the grooves arranged medially between adjacent longitudinal rows of the openings, for co-action with certain reinforcing wires with which the sheet is combined in a manner to be later described. It will be understood that the term grooves is to be broadly interpreted to include any lateral deforming or offsetting of the backing sheet at by which the functional equivalent of preferably continuous depressions or grooves in the front surface of the sheet is obtained, and which depressions serve to normally space such portions of the sheet away from certain reinforcing wires and to render the sheet free to be flexed in one direction such as transversely between fixed points of anchorage of the lathing to a stud, beam, or other support S as will be later fully described.

' 0n the front side of the backing sheet are front wires l5 and IS, the wires [5 spanning the openings H transversely of the latter and medially between the euds of the openings. The wires I6 intersect the wires l5 at a right angle thereto so as to extend parallel to the length of the openings H and medially between the longitudinal rows thereof directly in front of the porc 'tion of the backing sheet having the grooves 14, to thus normally space such portion of the sheet a considerable amount rearwardly from the wires Hi. The wires l5 and 16 are welded or otherwise secured together at their points of in- -tersection as indicated at if! so as to rigidly and permanently connect these wires.

On the back side of the backing =sheet M .are rear wires 48 disposed intermediat and parallel to the front wires l6 so as to .interpose thezsheet therebetween. The rear wires IBspan-the open- .ings I longitudinally of gthe latter and-are welded or otherwise permanently secured to the other front Wires IE5 at the points-of interseotion'of-the latter and the rear wires in the openings H as indicated at 1.9. 1

In wood frame construction :for example, sheets of the lathing are secured preferably at the rear wires 1-8 by fastening members such as nails or staples 25 to the supports 8, and :at a

.sufllcient number of locations on the la'thing sheets tosecurely hold same in place.

By virtue of the preformed grooves 14 in th backing sheet .of the .lathing, additional backing sheet material is provided between any two ,pointsof rigid anchorage of the lathing to the support :8 .by the fastening members '25, so that upon applying mortar to the lathing under .normal troweling pressure, the backing sheet will yield readily away .f rom th front wires 16 by flattening-out or at least reducing the depth of the grooves 14', thus enabling a greater propont'ion of the mortar to -flow behind the wires Hi to more deeply embed the latter i plaster for a stronger bond between the pastor and the lathking.

away from the other front wires E5 to a greater extent than previously possible, so as to also more deeply embed the overlying portions of the wires l5 in plaster to add to the strength of the bond between the plaster and wires.

Furthermore, the forming of the backing sheet to provide the grooves l4, materially strengthens the backing sheet so as to tend to produce bowing of the sheet longitudinally under troweling pressure and sagging of the sheet under the weight of moist plaster. Also the added amount of plaster resulting from the provision of the grooves l4 compensates for the added thickness of plaster through the openings ll so that a .more uniform overall thickness and hence strength of the finished slab is obtained in order for it to bemore rigid and more adequately resist fracture under service conditions.

I claim:

.1. Lathing comprising: a flexible backing sheet having openings arranged in rows; intersecting rows of front wires on the front of said sheet secured together at their intersections, with the wires of one row spanning said openings; and rear wires on the back of :said sheet spanning said openings in intersecting relation to-the wires of said one row and secured to the latter at-such intersections in said-openings; said hacking sheet being grooved along the length of and behind the front wires of the other row thereof toprovide excess backing sheet .mate'rial between spaced points of rigid-anchorage of the lathin-g to a support, so as toenable the sheet to be readily flexed away. from the front wires of said other row under .normal troweling pressure of mortar against th backing sheet, whereby such front wires will become deeply embedded in plaster.

2. Lathing comprising: a flexible backing sheet having elongated openings arranged in rows in longitudinal and transverse directions;

intersecting rows of front wires on the front of said sheet,'secured together at their intersections, with the wires of one row spanning said openings' transversely of the lengths of. the latter; and rear wires .on the [back of said sheet spanning said openings longitudinally of the latter and secured to the intersecting front wires in said openings; said "backing sheet having grooves in its front surface extending longitudinally of and behind the front wires of said other row thereof, so as to provide an excess of backing sheet material rendering the backing sheet capableof being readily flexed away from the bothrows of front wires under normal troweling pressure of mortar against the, backing sheet, whereby 'thefron't wireswill become deeply embedded in plaster to provide a bond of maximum strength between the plaster and front wires. v v

CARL A. KARELIUS. 

